Hidden Feelings
by RenaRocks
Summary: Claire Grimes has been harboring hidden feelings for her dad's best friend, Shane Walsh, in secret, but now she decides to act on them. Will things change for the worse or for the better when she decides to make her move and will Shane come to share her feelings? (Starts out before the Zombie Apocalypse, but will eventually get there.)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well, here's to a new fan fiction. Oh lord, I hate myself right now. I have become obsessed with the Shane x OC pairing, because, well, I'm bored. There will be problems with the ages, but that will be addressed in later chapters to create drama between everyone.**

**Chapter 1**

I think I was about fifteen when I noticed the heated glances Shane would give my mom. It was always quick looks that no one seemed to notice, but I did, and I couldn't help but to feel jealous. That's when I realized my feelings for the womanizer.

I spent about a year in denial. No, I told myself, I couldn't have feelings for my father's best friend. It was wrong. Plus, Shane was twelve years older than me. Normally age wouldn't be a problem in my mind, but other people didn't see things the way I did.

After my year of denial was over, I decided to make a move. I wasn't going to sit idly. The month after my sixteenth birthday I was going to try and take his gaze from my mom. I probably wouldn't succeed, but I could sure try.

Shane was sitting in a cruiser by himself. I didn't know where my dad was. He was probably back at the station or dealing with something, which was lucky for me. I was able to catch Shane all alone.

I walked up to his window undetected. He really should have been more alert, but he was busy reading a magazine. I tapped on the window and he looked up startled. Quickly, he rolled it down and hid his magazine.

"Hey, stranger," I said and he smiled.

"What do you need, Claire?" he asked smoothly.

"I was wondering if you could help me with a problem. I need to know something about the law, but I can't ask my father." I watched his reaction carefully. He didn't seem surprised, but he didn't look thrilled at the idea of talking behind my father's back.

"Umm, sure," he finally said. "Why don't you jump on in the other side?"

I smiled and walked around the cruiser to get in. Shane rubbed the back of his head when I got in. He was nervous, which could be a really good thing, or it could be really bad.

"So, what did you need to know about?" Shane asked.

"Well, let's say that I wanted to try and win the favor of a guy that's older than me by a lot." Shane's eyes widened in shock and I chose my next words wisely. "Could I put that guy in a very bad position legally by trying to gain his affections?"

Shane let out a long breath. "I now understand why you couldn't talk to your dad about this. He'd probably kill you if he knew." Shane kept his eyes forward, looking anywhere except for me. "Well, legally you'd be ok, but other people wouldn't be so accepting."

"That's good to know," I said awkwardly. There wasn't anyone I could ask besides him. There was always the internet, but I wanted to be sure. If I asked any of the other officers, they would have just told my dad. "Umm… do you have any ideas for trying to win a grown man over?" I really should be more embarrassed than I am.

Shane let out a laugh. "It really depends what type of guy you're trying to win over. I like women that are mature, spontaneous, and have things together, but that's not always the case. Some older men would probably like you looking as young and foolish as you could be, that way they could take advantage of you." He had to be really nervous if he is rambling this bad.

"Umm, thanks for the advice." I gave him a small smile. He really didn't know how much I appreciated this advice.

"Ya, I guess. You're welcome." I leaned in right next to his head and he turned suddenly. "What," he managed to say before I made my move. In one swift movement my mouth was on his. His body went rigid, probably from shock.

"Thanks for the advice," I whispered in his ear after I was done stealing his kiss. As I got out of the car, he was still as could be.

Sooner than I was expecting, I heard the police car start. He headed in my direction, but I ducked inside of a store. As Shane drove by, he had his head stuck out the window, looking for me obviously. I just hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid while looking for me.

Once I thought the coast was clear, I headed out of the shop and down the street. Home probably wouldn't be the safest place right now, so I headed in the opposite direction.

I know running is the cowardly thing to do, but I didn't know what else to do now. There was no real plan. I was going to just wing it, but now that I've made a move, I'm running scared. I don't know what to do. My hope was that everything would eventually turn out alright.

My feet carried me down to the park. It was my favorite spot and it helped me think while I was there. It was a common place for me to go whenever my parents started fighting, which was often nowadays.

The park was deserted as usual and I climbed up onto the playground equipment. There was a small enclosed area above the tallest slide that I sat down in. No one would see me up in here unless they came up the playground equipment, which no one usually came here.

I closed my eyes and relaxed. My plan was to just sit here a while, but I slowly came to realize just how tired I was. With no control over it, I fell asleep right there.

OoOoOoOoO

When I awoke, I was surprisingly warm. Cold air bit into my face, so I curled deeper into the blankets for warmth. There was a chuckle and my eyes snapped open.

"Finally awake," Shane said with a chuckle. "I really didn't think you'd fall asleep in a park like this."

"How'd you even find me?" I asked. "Not many people come to this park anymore."

"You don't think that no one's ever noticed you here? In all the times I've been patrolling, you're almost always sitting up here." Shane looked at me like he was trying to be angry.

I laughed and stretched out my limbs a little. "You really are an officer." Shane gave me a look that read 'no shit', but I ignored it. "If you've seen me up here, how come you've never sent me home?"

Shane rubbed the back of his head. "I guessed that you were running from your parents. Rick has told me some of the fights your mom has been starting. No one wants to see their parents say those types of things to each other. Plus, if I'd sent you away, you wouldn't have gone home. You'd just be wandering around somewhere else and no one would know where you are."

I nodded in acceptance of his answer. "So, what time is it?"

He gave me an odd look before answering, "It's 6:34."

I made a humming noise in the back of my throat. "My parents are probably looking for me then." Shane nodded. I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom. Shane watched me curiously as I did so.

"Where are you?" she answered the phone.

"I'm at a friend's house," I replied. Shane shook his head, but didn't say anything. "Is it alright if I spend the night?"

There was silence on the other end. Then I heard a door slam. "Oh, ya sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

I quickly hung up without answering my mother. It was best I didn't say anything. Another fight was about to start.

"Are you really planning on going to a friend's house?" I heard Shane ask.

"No," I replied. It wasn't like I could just drop in on a friend.

"Then, where do you plan on going?" he asked with concern.

"I more or less rent a house from a friend for free." It probably wasn't best to tell a police officer that I was doing illegal things or at least I was pretty sure might be illegal.

"Where?" Shane asked. Damn he was being nosey.

"I have a friend who owns a house on the edge of town. Since she moved out, she needs someone to watch over it, so I stay there every now and then."

There was an old lady that moved to Atlanta when she remarried, but she couldn't bear giving up the house. Since I was always close to her, she left me the house to take care of. She even told me that she'd be leaving it to me in her will, because I was the closest thing she had to a daughter. In all honesty, I thought of her a second mother. She was definitely there for me when my real mother couldn't be.

"Wait, are you talking about Old Lady Winter's house?" I nodded. It wasn't like one person knowing was going to hurt. "I'm assuming that you don't want me to tell your parents."

"I really don't care whether you tell them or not. It's not like I'll stop using the house. I owe it to Old Lady Winter to take care of the house." I stared at him defiantly.

"Alright, I won't tell your parents, but don't stay away from home too often." Shane rose and began to walk back towards his cruiser. He stopped almost all the way there and turned back to me. "Are you coming or not?" I stared at him in confusion and he chuckled at me. "I was offering you a ride."

Quickly, I scrambled up and ran to the cruiser. I wasn't about to turn down an offer to ride with Shane. I jumped in and Shane started the car right away. Warm air soon flooded in and I sighed in relief. Shane laughed at me and I stuck out my lip in a pout.

"I have a right to laugh at you," he declared. "You're too weird."

"Do I have the right to call you a pig because you're a cop?" I replied.

"Touché," Shane replied with a laugh.

The car fell into an awkward silence and I didn't know what to do. We arrived at the house and I moved to unbuckle. I heard Shane mumble something and then I was pinned to my seat. His mouth was on mine and barely restrained a moan as he deepened the kiss. Damn, he is a really good kisser. He pulled away sooner than I would have liked. Then, he handed me a piece of paper.

"I figured that you might want that," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. Holy shit! He just handed me his phone number. "Feel free to call me." He leaned over once more and kissed me again. It was rushed and hard, but damn did I like it.

He pulled away and I practically jumped out of the cruiser. I was in the house before I even looked back, and then I just stared at the door for a long time. Had that really just happened? Shane had kissed me! I practically felt like squealing in delight.

I felt like I was walking on air as I made up supper for myself. The events of the day replayed in my head, but I couldn't get the worries out of my head. Was Shane just messing with me? If he was, then he wouldn't have given me his number? Though it could be a fake number, but he probably wouldn't do that to someone he had to see so often. Plus, I can practically get ahold of him anytime I want already. It's not that hard to find a cop in this town. Also, he's always with my dad.

I came to the conclusion that Shane was probably just curious about what it would be like to mess with me. Satisfied with that answer, I went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everyone. I appreciate all comments, positive or negative. I know this chapter is short, but I included a little bonus thing at the end that's not from Claire's POV. Hopefully, it'll give a little more insight to Shane's frame of mind.**

**Chapter 2**

I opened my eyes and the first thing I realized was that I felt just absolutely miserable. My head felt fuzzy and I was way too hot, but I was shivering. The feeling of wanting to throw up rose in my throat and I resisted the urge to puke everywhere.

Then, I realized with increased horror, that I had no one here that could help me. I couldn't call my parents, because I didn't want them finding out about this place. I could call one of my friends.

With hope, I pulled out my phone and called my best friend. I sat there in silence and with each ring, I began to feel worse and worse. Eventually, I got her voicemail and I cursed under my breath.

So, she wouldn't answer, I'd just call my other friend. I put in her number and hit call. I about screamed with happiness when she picked up.

My happiness dropped when I heard her say, "Sorry, I can't talk right now. I'm at my grandparent's house."

"Ok," I mumbled and she hung up. Just great! I have no one else to call. Do I really only have two friends?

I grumbled and rolled over in bed. My eyes fell onto a piece of paper sitting on my nightstand, and a very bad idea popped into my head. No, I can't, I told myself. Shane only just gave me his number last night, I can't abuse it already. Plus, it'll look desperate if I call him now!

Defiantly, I tried getting out of bed, but I tumbled to the ground right away. My legs can't even hold me?

After minutes of trying to stand, I reluctantly reached for the paper and entered the number into my phone. Then, I pressed call. It rang a few times, and then he answered.

"Hello," Shane answered.

"Shane," I managed to say. I hoped that my voice came out strong, but I don't think it did.

"Hey, sorry I can't talk right now. I'll call you back later." He sounds rushed.

"Uhh sure," I mumbled and then he hung up.

Well, I was positively screwed, I decided. I pulled the blankets off my bed since I was certain that I couldn't pull myself back onto the bed. As soon as my eyes were shut, I was asleep.

OoOoOoOoOo

There was a loud noise and then I felt myself being lifted. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and discovered that I was back on my bed, but there was no one else in the room. There was a lot of noise from down stairs, which just increased my curiosity. Who the hell was in the house?

After what seemed like forever, the person came back into the room and my jaw almost dropped.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Shane as he approached.

"Is that anyway to talk to someone who made you food?" he replied. "I said that I'd call you back and I did, repeatedly. When you didn't answer, I stopped by the house, but no one came to the door, so I more or less broke in."

"A police officer breaking into a lady's house, how bad of you," I managed to tease.

"I came here as a concerned citizen, not a police officer," he said to me. "Now, you need to eat this."

I sat up in bed and put the pillows under my back. Shane handed me the soup and I took a huge gulp right away. It wasn't overly hot, which I was grateful for. Plus, it was my favorite.

"You shouldn't chug it," Shane scolded me. I gave him a glare and continued to drink the soup. Once I couldn't drink anymore, I set it down.

"Shane, can you help me with something?" I really didn't want to ask, but I really had to.

"Sure, what do you need help with?" He stood next to the bed, ready to help me.

"I need help getting up." Shane looked shocked, but nodded anyways. This was going to suck.

Slowly, I got out of bed. I was shaky on my feet, but Shane managed to steady me. "Thanks," I mumbled as I pushed off of him and stumbled out of the room. I managed to make my way to the bathroom without incident, which I was happy about.

When I returned, Shane was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was just staring at the ground. He didn't even notice that I had walked into the room. I walked forward on impulse and ruffled his hair. He looked up at me startled.

"Thanks for helping me out today," I told him and I smiled brightly at him.

He rubbed the back of his head and said, "No problem. You better get back to bed though. You need to get rested up by tomorrow, so you can go home." I nodded and crawled back into bed. "I'm going to leave now, but just call me if you need anything."

"Thanks," I mumbled as I drifted off into sleep again. I faintly felt a hand on my cheek and I snuggled into its warmth.

OoOoOoOoOo

**POV Change**

Shane answered his phone with a, "Hello." It wasn't really a good time to be getting a phone call. He was in the middle of a lunch date with his lady friend, or rather his sex friend.

"Shane," was the reply he got. Of course, Claire was the only one that would call him at such a time of the day.

"Hey, sorry I can't talk right now. I'll call you back later." The lady he was escorting raised her eyebrow. She didn't like being ignored.

"Uhh sure," was Claire's weak reply. Shane hung up, but didn't feel good about it. Claire hadn't sounded the good. He could tell even over the phone.

"Who was that?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Just a friend," Shane told her.

She didn't push the subject anymore, and they went back to eating their food. They were supposed to go back to Shane's place after eating for a little fun, but on the drive there he changed his mind.

"This isn't your house," she commented as he pulled into the driveway.

"I know, it's yours," he explained. "I'm sorry. I have something to do today, so I can't have fun with you. At least you got a free meal out of it."

The woman shrugged and then got out of the car. Shane sped away to head to Claire. He pulled out his cell phone on the way and hastily dialed her number. When there was no answer he grew frustrated. He repeatedly dialed it over and over, but there was never an answer. When he got to the house, he practically jumped out of his car.

He rang the doorbell, but there was no answer, so he tried turning the knob. To his surprise it was open. He rushed inside when he noticed that Claire's coat was hanging next to the door, which meant that she was still in the house.

"Claire," he shouted as he ran around the house trying to find her. Finally, he went upstairs and found her on the floor next to a bed. "God damn it," he mumbled and he tried to find her head in the heap of fabric. His hand brushed a piece of her skin and he said, "You're burning up." Shane wrapped his arms around her and set her down on the bed.

As he ran down the stairs, he mumbled to himself, "Why?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Meant to upload this one yesterday, but I went to a school play instead XD Sorry for any grammar mistakes or wrong word usage. I don't really edit these before posting them, so it's bound to happen.**

**Chapter 3**

I woke up the next day feeling positively refreshed, but a quick glance at my phone told me that I was in trouble. I had five missed calls from my mom and ten text messages.

I scrolled through the messages of worry and found a really interesting one at the end. "I'll cover for your ass tonight, but you better be home tomorrow." Then it was probably my dad that was worked up about me not being home last night.

Grumbling, I rolled out of bed and grabbed a change of clothes out of the dresser. Then I headed off to the bathroom to take a shower. I made sure to take my time and wash all the germs from the sickness off of me. When I was finished, I dried myself and got dressed. I quickly blow dried my hair so that my parents wouldn't wonder where I took a shower.

I shut off all the lights, turned the thermostat down, locked everything, and then left the house. Next time I was there, I'd clean the place completely.

Only now did I regret not taking my car yesterday. I'd have to walk all the way home, which didn't really bother me. It would just take some time to get home.

When I finally did get home, the sun had risen and it was no longer half hidden on the horizon. It looked like it was going to be a warm day.

When I walked into the house, my mom was waiting patiently by the door with a cup of coffee.

"Jesus mom, you scared the shit out of me." I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm my heart.

"Where were you yesterday?" she practically shouted at me. Ouch.

"I was at a friend's house," I told her, hoping that she'd believe me.

"No you weren't," she told me with absolute certainty. How did she find out?

"How would you know that I wasn't?" I asked curiously.

"I called your friends and they both said that they hadn't seen you." She gave me her death glare, but it really didn't bother as much as she would have liked.

"Well, I was at a friend's house. It's not a friend of mine that you know." It wasn't actually a lie.

"Oh, so what's your friend's name?" I really didn't want to take this conversation further.

"Edith," I replied smoothly.

"What is this Edith's last name?" Oh, no.

"Mom, I think it's time we had a talk." At least I could try to control the situation. "I've been renting a house from a friend, so that's where I was." My mom stared at me in shock. "I plan to continue renting the place, so would you like to have the address."

"There is no way that you think that your dad is going to agree to this and me too for that matter. A young woman should not be staying alone in a house." She was standing now.

"Mom," I said trying to calm her, "I'm going to have to move away eventually. I'm just doing it a little sooner than most and it's not like I'm moving completely away."

My mom moved to the kitchen to get more coffee. "If you can get your dad to agree to it then I'll go along with it." Oh man, I hoped that my recorder was getting all this.

"Ok," I said happily. My dad would probably agree to anything that I asked. I was his little girl, although I was not so little anymore. It was obvious that my mom thought he would side with her. "I'm going to go get ready for work."

Before she could say anything, I walked away. Quickly, I switched into my work clothes and headed out of the house, but stopped just before leaving.

"Oh, by the way, I get off around six. I have a long shift tonight," I told my mom and then left. I was really not looking forward to working this eleven hour shift.

OoOoOoOoO

When I got home from work, my parents were waiting for me at the dinner table. I approached them carefully. They were currently talking about the weather. How mundane.

My mom noticed me enter the room and stopped the conversation immediately. She pushed out a chair, and I sat down in it.

"Claire, I want you to tell your father what you want to do." She said it sweetly but her words were poison.

"Well, Dad," I said, putting emphasis on Dad. "I want to semi move out of the house." He raised an eyebrow curiously. "I'll let Mom and you know exactly where I'll be staying. You are free to come over and look around the place if you want. This will help teach me responsibility and you can still have some control." One look at my dad's face told me that he was sold.

"It's absurd, right?" my mom declared to him.

"I think it's a good idea," he replied and my mom practically fainted right there. "It'll help get her ready for the real world."

"Well, I'm putting my foot down. You're not moving out."

I reached in my pocket and took out my phone, which had recorded everything. I played the cropped part of the previous conversation with my mom. "If you can get your dad to agree to it, then I'll go along with it," rang throughout the room.

I smiled deviously, "So, I can't move out on my next day off, but maybe the one after that. I have to go discuss this matter with my friend that owns the house as soon as I can."

My dad tried his hardest not to look proud of me, but I could tell he was by the glint in his eyes. "Why don't you leave, so your mom and I can talk for a while?"

I nodded and left the room, but just went to a wall and pressed my ear against it so that I could hear everything that they were saying.

"Aren't you worried?" my mom asked him.

"Worried about what?" he asked. "Claire is a smart girl, so we shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Aren't you concerned that she'll throw parties and have boys over?" I refrained from laughing at my mom. That was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

"Lori, in all the years that we've spent watching over Claire, have you ever seen her so much as glance at a guy?" There was a long moment of silence before my dad started talking again, "No? Neither have I, so I'm not really concerned. I'm actually suspicious that she might be a lesbian."

I bit hard into my lip to keep from laughing at that one. Really, he thought that I might be a lesbian? If only he knew the truth. He wouldn't be so happy about me moving out then and he would probably kill his best friend.

"She is not a lesbian!" I heard my mother shout. Did she have something against gay people?

"I'm not saying she is one. I just wouldn't exactly be surprised if she was."

I broke away from the wall in disinterest. They were just going to start fighting again. I left the house in favor of going out into our backyard to call up Old Lady Winters.

The phone rang twice before an elderly voice said, "Hello."

"Hey, Edith," I said.

"Oh, Claire, it's so nice of you to call me. Is the house doing fine?"

"Yes, I've been taking very good care of the house."

"Oh, then how are you doing?" She is such a caring lady.

"I've been doing great lately. How are things with Vincent?"

"He's doing great and married life has been really good. I just wish that I'd met him sooner."

"It may have taken you sixty years to find your true-love, but at least you found it," I told her.

"Have you found yours yet?" she teased me and my face turned absolutely red.

"No," I told her. "I doubt that I'm quite that lucky."

"Oh, you don't know that. Maybe it's one of the boys in your English class." I practically fell over laughing. None of the guys in my English class were hardly worth a look. They are still immature little boys in my eyes.

"I don't think any of them are it," I told her.

"Well, don't worry, you're seventeen, you still got time. So, what were you calling for?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to have a little extra company this weekend?"

"I'll get to fixing up the guest bedroom right away." I heard a door shut in the background. Was she getting on it already?

"Just calm down, you have a week until I come over."

"If I do it now then I won't have to worry about doing it later," she whined.

"Well, don't stress yourself out and I'll see you Friday?" I asked her.

"Okie dokie! I'll see you then, bye."

"Bye," I told her and then she hung up on me.

As I went back into the house, I was genuinely excited for Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: My friend talked me into posting this chapter early. I try to update every Friday. There's probably a lot of errors in this, because I was rushing to get it out for my friend. This is for you Sage.**

Chapter 4

The week went by faster than I expected, which I was grateful for. Ever since my dad sided with me, the fights had gotten worse. I'm sure that I should feel guilty about giving them something to fight about, but I just couldn't get myself to care. Soon, I would be out of the house and I wouldn't have to worry about their fights.

I was just finishing up my weekly cleaning of the house when the doorbell rang. Quickly, I threw down the rag and hurried to the front door. I peered out the curtain, and to my shock, Shane was standing at the door looking as impatient, don't forget sexy, as ever. My hands fumbled for the knob and I practically threw open the door.

"Were you expecting someone else?" he asked curiously. I must have had a weird look on my face.

I straightened myself out and replied, "No, I was just surprised that I had company. Do you want to come in?" I stepped away from the door slightly and motioned that he could come in, which he did. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Do you have fresh coffee made?" he asked as we walked into the kitchen.

"Actually, I do." I ran to go get a coffee cup. "Do you want any sugar or milk?" I heard Shane chuckle at me, but I ignored it.

"No, I like mine black." I poured him some coffee and handed him the cup. He sipped it and then smiled.

"So, what do you need?" I tried to busy myself with fiddling with something, so that I wouldn't stare at him. Shit, since when did I become a shy, blushing maiden?

"I just wanted to congratulate you. Rick has been telling me a lot about your schemes lately. He's quite proud of you, mostly about you standing up to Lori though." I guess I should have known that he'd talk about it with Shane.

"Then you must know that I'll be moving into here permanently soon, right?"

"He told me all about that. Did he tell you that he wants you to get a roommate?"

"No, but I already had planned on getting one. I have a friend that's been looking to move out of their parents' house and for good reasons too. His parents are assholes."

Shane practically chocked on his coffee. When he finally regained his composure, he said, "Your dad wants you to get a roommate that's a girl I think. Rick would probably lose his shit if he knew that you plan on moving a guy into the house." Shane rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

I started laughing at Shane's rushed sentences. "Don't worry, my friend is gay. That's why he wants to move out. His parents weren't so accepting of his newly found self." A slight blush crept over Shane's cheeks, which was insanely cute on him. I leaned over the counter towards him and smiled. "You know, when I kissed you I meant it. I'm not the type to go after multiple guys, so you don't have to worry about me having others at my beck and call."

Shane's face got considerably redder. "I was just speaking as your father's friend," he said in defense.

I glanced up at the clock and sighed. "Want to make yourself useful?" Shane furrowed his eye brows in curiosity. "Help me carry my things out to the car?"

Shane took a couple of long drinks of his coffee before rinsing it out in the sink. "What do you need me to carry?"

I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a tray of bars and then grabbed a Tupperware of cookies off the counter. "Can you put these in the back of the car?"

Shane nodded and took them from me. As he went to the garage, I went upstairs and grabbed my suit case. When I came into the garage, I was shocked. Shane was in the middle of loading someone's suit case into my trunk.

"What are you doing?" I asked in shock.

"Did you really think that you were going to go to Atlanta alone?"

"Yes," I told him. Edith didn't need too many guests. Her apartment wasn't that big. (She was living a lot more modestly than she was before.)

"Well, would you rather have Rick or I go with you?" he asked as he took my suit case from me.

"I guess neither of you would be unpleasant to have with me." I wasn't about to chose favorites.

"Well, your dad couldn't get this weekend off, so he sent me to watch over you." I had to agree that this did make a lot of sense. This seemed like something my dad would do.

"Fine, you can come with." Like I really had a choice in the matter. "Do you need anything else?"

"Can I put my car in the garage before we leave?"

"Sure, I'll open the door for you." It was nice having a two stall garage.

Once Shane's car was safely in the confines of the garage, I backed the car out and double checked that everything was locked. When I was absolutely certain that no one would break into the house, I rejoined Shane in my car.

"Ready?" I asked him and he nodded. This was going to be a long car ride.

OoOoOoOoO

I parked the car in front of the apartment building. Quickly, I texted Edith that we had arrived and then waited for her to come open the front door of the apartment building. Shane had out suit cases and I had the cookies and bars.

When Edith finally arrived, she wore a big goofy grin. "I was beginning to think that you'd never show up," she teased me as she let us in. "My, who's this handsome man you brought with?"

"He's my parole officer, so hide the drugs," I told her.

"Oh dear, it's a good thing I used the last of my stash last night," she said as she led us into the apartment.

Shane gave me a funny look and I just said, "She's joking so relax." His shoulders visibly slackened and I restrained a laugh. Was he really concerned that this sweet old lady was doing drugs?

"I'm afraid I only have one spare bedroom, so you'll have to share a room," Edith informed us as we entered the guest bedroom.

I glance up at Shane and his face was tinted red. Things were getting interesting. Shane set out things next to the closet while I followed Edith out of the room and to the kitchen.

"Do the bars need to be refrigerated?" she asked me.

"They don't have to be unless you keep it so hot in here that they'll melt," I informed her. "I baked your favorite cookies for you."

She practically ripped the container of cookies from my hands and peered in to inspect them. Carefully, she took a cookie and ate it. She sighed afterwards.

"I missed your baking so much. I swear these are filled with crack. They're so addictive." She set the cookies down and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. "I really missed you."

"Me too," I said as I hugged her back. "I don't get time off work very often."

"I understand an I'm sure that handsome man you brought with you keeps you plenty busy." I shook my head at her.

"We're not like that," I told her. At least not yet, I was still hopeful.

"I won't press it any further," she said and moments later Shane walked into the room looking incredibly awkward and lost.

Silence settled over the room for a short time until we heard the front door open. I rushed to the door and wrapped my arms around Vincent.

"There's the man that took Edith from me," I teased and then took grocery bags from him.

"Claire, it's a pleasant surprise to see you," he said as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Edith didn't tell you that I'd be coming to visit this weekend?" He shook his head. "That's so like her," I said loudly as I set the bags down on the table.

Vincent noticed Shane standing by the table and extended his hand to him. "You must be Claire's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you."

I stared in horror at Vincent. Did he really just ask that? I almost yelled no, but was cut off by Shane's reply.

"Yes," Shane replied as he shook Vincent's hand.

Wait, did he just... Oh my god...

Shane wrapped an arm around my shoulder and said something. I just stood there numbly, not knowing what to do.

Edith smiled and told me, "I'll start the steaks. Oh, Shane are you alright with eating steak?"

"I couldn't imagine anything better," he replied as he flashed her a charming smile.

Edith smiled and addressed me, "Claire, you really got a keeper here. He's so nice and polite."

I felt my face redden considerably. "Umm do you need help with anything?"

"No, just got back to the guest room and relax a while."

I didn't even get the chance to respond before Shane pulled me away.

"What are you doing?" I said in a high pitched voice.

"What?" Shane asked me. "You don't want to be my girlfriend?"

"It's not that, I didn't think we were exactly together!" I kept my voice lowered so that Edith and Vincent wouldn't hear it, but I wasn't sure that I was succeeding.

"Well, not yet." Shane put a hand on my cheek and brushed his thumb over my lips. "I was thinking that tomorrow would be a fantastic opportunity for a date." He leaned down and brought his lips to mine. It was like heaven. He broke the kiss and moved his lips to my ear. "How does that sound?"

I whimpered slightly at the feeling of his breath on my ear. "Devine," I mumbled as he leaned away from me.

"Perfect. I'm going to go socialize with Vincent. Join us when you want to." Shane left the room and I practically collapsed.

Holy shit. When I first kissed Shane, I did not think it would evolve into a date this fast. Was I mentally prepared? Then again, what did it matter? I would just go with the flow.

After minutes of mentally preparing myself, I left the bedroom and joined Shane and Vincent in the living room. The rest of the night was filled with laughing, playing games, and just over all goofiness. By the time everyone was ready to go to bed, I was on the verge of passing out.

I collapsed on the bed. I didn't even have the strength to crawl under the covers. Shane shook me and I groaned in response.

"Come on Claire, you'll get cold unless you cover yourself up," Shane scolded me.

He pulled me into an upright position and I grumbled as I stood up. Reluctantly, I crawled under the blankets and snuggled into the warmth. There must be a bed warmer on.

"Are you going to join me?" I asked sleepily.

"Ya, just hold on," he said as he rounded the other side of the bed. There was the rustling of clothing and then I felt another weight on the bed. "No need to worry," he informed me. "I'll sleep on top of the sheet."

"Do you really think I'm concerned about you attacking me in the night?" I mumbled.

"No, it's more for my sake than yours." I smiled. "Your dad would be so pissed right now if he knew that we were sharing a bed."

"Not exactly my fault that we're sharing a bed. I wasn't the one that made you come along."

"True, but you're also the girl that's sharing a bed with a man that she's not even had a date with."

"That's better than a one night stand, because there's the promise that I will date you," I retorted.

"That there is," he mumbled right before I fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So this chapter was long over due. I was having a major case of writers block, but I tried to push through it. Hopefully this chapter isn't too painful to read. Sorry ahead of time for any spelling/grammar errors.**

**Chapter 5**

I woke up early the next morning and to my surprise, Shane was already out of bed. I rose and got dressed. Then, I went to the kitchen to join Shane.

"What's up?" I asked with a yawn.

"Well, I was thinking of making coffee, but then I didn't know where any thing is, so I didn't make any," he explained.

I smiled and went to the cupboard. "Don't worry I'll make you some." I reached for the regular stuff, but stopped to smile even brighter when I noticed flavored coffee. It was caramel, my favorite and undoubtedly Edith had gotten it for me. Edith didn't drink coffee and Vincent didn't like flavored coffee. "Do you like caramel coffee?"

Shane looked up surprise and smiled. "That's my favorite."

I started up the coffee maker and sat back down by Shane. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"I was thinking we could go the aquarium and maybe a movie."

"Sounds good," I said as I got up and went to retrieve the morning paper. "Do you want to read the paper?" I asked once I got back to the table.

"Sure," he replied and I handed him the paper. I went and poured some coffee and set it next to him. "Thanks," he said after taking a sip.

"How long do you thing we have until Edith and Vincent are up?" Just as I said that, Edith appeared in the room. "Speak of the devil and she appears," I teased her.

"It's too early for your whit," she replied as she sat at the table. "What are you two doing up so early?"

"I'm always up this early," Shane replied.

"Me too," I said as I drank my coffee.

"You two are ridiculous," she said with a scrunched nose. "Have you two made any plans for the day?" she asked.

"Actually, we were going to go on a date," I told her, slightly embarrassed.

"I can understand your haste, but I think 7 am is a little early for a date," she told us.

"We probably won't leave until about 9 or 10," Shane informed her.

"That sounds good. I think Vincent and I might go do something ourselves. He's been hinting at something all week." Edith smiled excitedly. "Well, you two just relax and I'm going to go back to bed." Edith rose and left the room.

"We still have two hours to burn," I said with a sigh.

"Ya. Do you have a computer I can use?" I looked at Shane and cocked an eyebrow. "I don't own a laptop that I could bring and I want to look up a couple of things for our date."

"I'll go get it," I said as I rose to go get my laptop for Shane. I grabbed it from my bag along with my tablet. When I returned, Shane was helping himself to another cup of coffee. I set the laptop down and said, "Here you go."

"Thanks," he said as he opened it. I smirked as I waited for him to realize I have a password on it. "I love Shane," he said as he typed it into the password box. I put my face in my palm. He was so off. "Hey, it worked!" What?

"No it didn't, you liar," I said.

"I know. Slightly disappointed, but it also would have been creepy." He smiled a gorgeous smile and I practically melted.

"If I knew that's what you were going to try, I would have changed it," I said with a smirk. I leaned in and typed in my password. "Don't dig around too much."

"Don't worry, I'm not very good with computers." The smile he wore told me otherwise.

"I'm sure you're just horrendous with computers." I sat down right next to him and pulled up the Internet on my tablet. I looked over to read what he was typing and laughed. "You're really taking this seriously."

"What? A little research never hurt anyone and plus, I need to know how to get to these places." Shane rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Sounds good," I said as I pulled up my social media.

I rolled my eyes when I got a message from my friend, Alex. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and checked my texts. Alex had been trying to get ahold of me since yesterday afternoon.

"Sorry, I've been busy," I typed back.

"That's alright. I was wondering if you were free to hang out later. I wanted to meet Edith and get this whole thing settled." Alex, always being reasonable.

"I've actually got a date today, so maybe we can meet up later. I'm in Atlanta at the moment." I glanced up at Shane who was busy looking up various things.

"Woof, way to go! Is it that got cop you've been telling me about? Also, I totally want to meet whoever it is." I laughed a little.

"Yes, it's the cop. I'll see if we can make some time later. By the looks of it, he's busy planning our date and it looks like its going to be a long one."

"Cross your fingers."

I set my phone down and began to play games on my tablet. A while later when I finally broke away from my game, I noticed that Shane was still looking things up. By the looks of things, he was making an organized list.

"Wow, you need a break," I told him. When he didn't respond, i began to massage his shoulders. He looked up startled. "Were you really that focused?"

"Just a little. What time is it?" He relaxed into my hands and I smiled.

"Umm, it's 8:24," I said.

"That much time has passed?" I nodded. I was pretty surprised myself. "Well, why don't we head out early and grab some breakfast?"

"Sure," I said. "I'll go grab my keys and jacket." I went to the bedroom and retrieved the items. When I rejoined Shane I handed him the keys. "Oh wait," I said and ran to Edith's bedroom. I knocked on the door.

Edith opened the door and asked, "What do you need?"

"Can we get a spare key?" She reached off to the side and then handed me a key. "Thank you."

"Have fun," she said as I walked away.

"Ready?" Shane asked as I exited the apartment.

"Yes," I replied and he took my hand in his. Today was going to be interesting.

"I'm so tired," I announced as we got to the car. We'd been to more museums than I could count, the zoo, the aquarium, a couple of restaurants, and finally a theme park. I swear we had to have rode every ride by the time we were done.

"Me too," he said. "Should we head back?"

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe we can make it in time for supper."

"We'll make it. It's only 5:30." He seemed confidant in his driving abilities.

When we finally got back, we were both ready to pass out.

"I think that was a very successful first date," Shane said as we walked into the apartment complex. As we approached the door to Edith's apartment, he stopped me. "Stop a second," he said and I turned to face him. Hi mouth was on mine in an instant and god he was a good kisser. "I wanted to do that before we went in," he informed me.

As we entered the apartment, I heard Edith say, "We didn't think you'd get back until later."

"We were too tired to anything else," I told her.

"Had a full day did you? Well, we have supper ready if you want to eat right away." I sniffed the air. It smelt so good. "It's hamburger helper."

"Awesome, is it ready?" I asked.

"Yes, hopefully there's enough." I walked into the kitchen and noticed Vincent finishing off a plate of food. "What did you do, inhale it?" Vincent looked up guiltily. "I swear he just started eating when I went to meet you at the door."

"You exaggerate," Vincent said. "I'm going to go shower." Vincent gave Edith a small kiss before leaving the room.

"Edith," I said nervously, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

She raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Of course. Why don't we talk over supper?"

"Sounds good," I replied and took a seat at the table. Shane looked at me curiously and sat down too. Well, I guess he's going to be in this conversation too. "I was thinking about moving into the house on a more regular basis. I would take over the electric bills, water bills, and any other bills there might be."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked and I practically had a heart attack. Shane looked at me concerned and I tried to keep my gaze away from him. "Do you really think that I'd let you do that?" What? Was she taking back her words now? "Honey, calm down, I'm just joking with you. I'll let you stay at the house permanently if you want, but I can't allow you to pay any of the bills."

"I have to grow up sometime," I told her.

"Yes, sometime," she replied. "You're not an adult yet. You're still in school. You are still learning what it means to work, grow, and love. Claire, you're already more mature than most teenagers I know. You don't have to take on all the weight by yourself. Allow people to help you until you're absolutely ready." I stared at her in shock. That was the first time that she'd actually been that harsh on me. "Also," she said, "I take payments in cookies."

"God Edith, you gave me a heart attack," I scolded her. "Are you sure about this?" She nodded and I sighed. "Well, there's another thing I wanted to ask about. One of my friends wants to live with me. Before you say anything, he's a really nice guy and really needs a place to stay."

"Shane's alright with you living with a guy?" Edith questioned and glanced at Shane, who looked really embarrassed.

"Well, my friend is gay, so I don't think it would be too much of a problem." I'm sure my face was tinted red.

"Oh, well can I meet this kid?" she asked.

"Actually, he wanted to meet you. Could he still come over today?"

"Of course," she exclaimed. "If he wants to stay over we can find some spare blankets and he can sleep on the couch."

I pulled out my phone and told Alex, "You can come over and stay the night if you want."

"Ok cool. I'll be there in about ten minutes," he replied.

"Alex said he'll be here in about ten minutes. We should eat." Shane nodded and we got up to get food. When we sat back down, Edith was smiling mischievously at me. "What are you so smiley about?"

"Nothing," she responded. "Maybe in the future I'll tell you."

"Whatever," I mumbled and glanced at Shane, who was smiling at me. I couldn't help but to smile back.

We finished eating and a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. "I got it," I said and hurried to stand up. Quickly, I glanced through the peephole and made sure it was Alex. When I confirmed it was, I swung the door open and gave him a big hug.

"Well, that's one way to be greeted," he said with a laugh.

"It's been so long since we've last seen each other," I pouted. "Anyways, come in." I led him into the apartment and then into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

"I just ate," he informed me.

We entered the kitchen and two pairs of eyes were focused on us. "Everyone, this is Alex. Alex, this is Shane and Edith."

"Wow, you really know how to pick them," he whispered to me.

My face turned red as a tomato and Shane gave me a confused look.

"It's so nice to meet you," Edith said.

"I've heard a lot about you," Alex told her.

"I hope they're all good things," she said playfully.

"Of course," he said. "Would Claire ever say anything bad?"

"Yes," Edith and Shane said in unison.

"Teaming up on me?" I asked and faked hurt.

"Yup," Shane said with a teasing smile.

I rolled my eyes and sat down. It was going to be a long night.

**Next Chapter: Things happen and bullets fly.**


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